I am on the waiting list and received an e-mail at 6.26 pm today offering me tickets for tonight. The show had (I presume) already started by then and even if I lived in London, which I don't, there's no way I could have got there in time.

I'd be more annoyed if I hadn't already been busy and unable to go, but I hope this will be sorted out for the last two recording dates, both of which I would be able to make.

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At the time it went out, I hear they were still in the "holding area". I got the email too and would also have been upset had I missed out...

I am on the waiting list and received an e-mail at 6.26 pm today offering me tickets for tonight. The show had (I presume) already started by then and even if I lived in London, which I don't, there's no way I could have got there in time.

I'd be more annoyed if I hadn't already been busy and unable to go, but I hope this will be sorted out for the last two recording dates, both of which I would be able to make.

Click to expand...

At the time it went out, I hear they were still in the "holding area". I got the email too and would also have been upset had I missed out...

Click to expand...

A friend of mine got that email too. He misread it at first, thinking we had tickets for next Friday, before realising his mistake. The email also clearly stated that "Doors close at 6pm". He recieved the email at 6:26 pm, with nothing mentioned about any change to that :? ..ah well.

So my initial reaction was..um, time machine anyone?

On a side note i must say that these competitions don't exactly leave those who need time to plan travel arrangements and whatnot much time do they?. I don't like to complain really (well at least not about stuff that's free ), but it just seems to me these things should've maybe been organised a little more in advance perhaps?. We don't all live in Londinion ya know...

I think people are reacting unnecessarily harshly to this email, to be perfectly honest.

Suggesting that they "sort it out" implies that there's something to "sort out". However, what's pretty clear is that these spare seats result from people not turning up - so by their very nature, the announcement *has* to be last minute. You can't expect them to email at 4pm saying "There are spares", because at 4pm there AREN'T spares!

It's fair to say that for 99% of the people who get the email, getting to Shepperton in time is an impossibility. However, it's a pretty selfish attitude to suggest that just because *you* can't get there, the email is inherently flawed. If there are twenty spare seats, and five of them get filled by people who live nearby (or happened to be sitting in a pub around the corner), then five people who wouldn't otherwise have got to see Red Dwarf get to see it. I'd say that's pretty cool.

Instead, you've got people going "Well, *I* couldn't possibly have made it in time, so how DARE they send me that email?"

I wouldn't blame LITV and GNP if they decided not to advertise any spare seats, next time, if this level of ungratefulness is going to be the response. Of course, if they did THAT, then people would go "Look, there were empty seats, why didn't we get offered them?"

All of this is a consequence of the fact that a specific decision was taken not to over-subscribe tickets. That decision was still, in my view, far and away the best thing that could have been done, because it guaranteed that everyone who has a legitimate ticket for one of the dates WILL be allowed into the studio to watch the show.

EDIT: Also, just because you only received the email at half six doesn't mean it was SENT at half six. Contrary to what you might think, mailing list emails sent to thousands of people don't necessarily reach everyone's inbox instantaneously.

I don't think it's possible to know if any or how many tickets are going to be spare until just before the filming is to take place. Iwould imagine that the offer goes out to anyone who is on there mailing list (not just people who subscribed to the Red Dwarf tickets)After all, all there trying to do is fill the studio audience so that the show benefits from the best possible amount of people in the audience. My hats off to them for trying so hard and giving people that maybe could make it the chance of a last minute ticket.

Yes, sorry to cause undue frustration but - hands up - I sent the e-mail from the audience holding area at Shepperton at around 4.45-5.00pm. I don't know quite why it took so long for some people on the list to receive it, it really shouldn't have - it's a big list but shouldn't take around 2 hours to send. Apologies if you were one of the unlucky ones who did get it too late.

It was an odd week in that we had a relatively high number of last-minute cancellations. And by 'last-minute' I mean cancellations from e-mails sent to us as we arrived on-site or parties actually arriving and using less than their full allocation of tickets. Faced with potentially 20-25 spare seats, I took the decision to e-mail the whole waiting list, knowing full well that the vast majority of people wouldn't be within a stone's throw of Shepperton and be able to make it on time. But my hope was there would at least be enough people to get it who could fill the seats and not have them go to waste. Thankfully this was the case and we managed to squeeze in some very happy latecomers.

What we're thinking of doing for the final 2 shows is putting together a local, last-minute list for people to register their interest on. So if we do ever have any empty seats at least we can get the message out to people who have a realistic chance of getting to the studio on time. It'll be a bit hectic, granted - but we'd definitely not rather overbook the recording as I would hate to have to send home disappointed fans every week.

On the whole the turn-out rates have been absolutely astounding. 20-25 empty seats may sound like a lot, but I've worked on shows where we have to overbook the whole audience many, many times over to stand any chance of a full house. 90-95% ticket uptake is simply unheard of - making Red Dwarf the most popular show we've had by a galactic mile.

As an aside, it's worth letting us know ASAP if you have a set of tickets and are unable to use the full allocation. I know its tricky as some people pull out for unforeseeable reasons like illness or last-minute work commitments, but we reallocate spares right up until the day of the recording - so do drop us a line to let us know.

I think people are reacting unnecessarily harshly to this email, to be perfectly honest.

Suggesting that they "sort it out" implies that there's something to "sort out". However, what's pretty clear is that these spare seats result from people not turning up - so by their very nature, the announcement *has* to be last minute. You can't expect them to email at 4pm saying "There are spares", because at 4pm there AREN'T spares!

It's fair to say that for 99% of the people who get the email, getting to Shepperton in time is an impossibility. However, it's a pretty selfish attitude to suggest that just because *you* can't get there, the email is inherently flawed. If there are twenty spare seats, and five of them get filled by people who live nearby (or happened to be sitting in a pub around the corner), then five people who wouldn't otherwise have got to see Red Dwarf get to see it. I'd say that's pretty cool.

Instead, you've got people going "Well, *I* couldn't possibly have made it in time, so how DARE they send me that email?"

I wouldn't blame LITV and GNP if they decided not to advertise any spare seats, next time, if this level of ungratefulness is going to be the response. Of course, if they did THAT, then people would go "Look, there were empty seats, why didn't we get offered them?"

All of this is a consequence of the fact that a specific decision was taken not to over-subscribe tickets. That decision was still, in my view, far and away the best thing that could have been done, because it guaranteed that everyone who has a legitimate ticket for one of the dates WILL be allowed into the studio to watch the show.

EDIT: Also, just because you only received the email at half six doesn't mean it was SENT at half six. Contrary to what you might think, mailing list emails sent to thousands of people don't necessarily reach everyone's inbox instantaneously.

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Perhaps my initial post could have been better worded. It certainly wasn't my intention to appear ungrateful, more to seek clarification from Jay on what exactly happened and if anything will be different next week.

Also, I should have mentioned that a friend of mine who lives in America and has never seen a recording is also on the waiting list. She also received the e-mail and was surprised to say the least. My (mild) irritation was partly on her behalf, as I know how keen she is to see the show. She's been entering competitions and is prepared to travel several thousand miles. Understandably receiving that e-mail was a little galling for her, although I understand the circumstances better now that Jay has explained. Which is why I posted in this thread in the first place.

Yes, sorry to cause undue frustration but - hands up - I sent the e-mail from the audience holding area at Shepperton at around 4.45-5.00pm. I don't know quite why it took so long for some people on the list to receive it, it really shouldn't have - it's a big list but shouldn't take around 2 hours to send. Apologies if you were one of the unlucky ones who did get it too late.

It was an odd week in that we had a relatively high number of last-minute cancellations. And by 'last-minute' I mean cancellations from e-mails sent to us as we arrived on-site or parties actually arriving and using less than their full allocation of tickets. Faced with potentially 20-25 spare seats, I took the decision to e-mail the whole waiting list, knowing full well that the vast majority of people wouldn't be within a stone's throw of Shepperton and be able to make it on time. But my hope was there would at least be enough people to get it who could fill the seats and not have them go to waste. Thankfully this was the case and we managed to squeeze in some very happy latecomers.

What we're thinking of doing for the final 2 shows is putting together a local, last-minute list for people to register their interest on. So if we do ever have any empty seats at least we can get the message out to people who have a realistic chance of getting to the studio on time. It'll be a bit hectic, granted - but we'd definitely not rather overbook the recording as I would hate to have to send home disappointed fans every week.

On the whole the turn-out rates have been absolutely astounding. 20-25 empty seats may sound like a lot, but I've worked on shows where we have to overbook the whole audience many, many times over to stand any chance of a full house. 90-95% ticket uptake is simply unheard of - making Red Dwarf the most popular show we've had by a galactic mile.

As an aside, it's worth letting us know ASAP if you have a set of tickets and are unable to use the full allocation. I know its tricky as some people pull out for unforeseeable reasons like illness or last-minute work commitments, but we reallocate spares right up until the day of the recording - so do drop us a line to let us know.

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Thank you for taking the time to explain this to us; it's appreciated. I'm pleased to hear that some people got in at the last minute.

Ah well, these things happen. The email's being sent before the time some of them arriving is one something i hadn't concidered personally to be honest. 'Tis a shame through as obviously it's then irrelivent where people live, even those who live in Shepperton can't get there for 6 pm if the email arrives at half six, unless as i said anyone has a time machine .

I wouldn't say people are reacting harshly to the email though. I don't see any evidence of anyone being ungreatful here at all, i think that's a little unfair. If you recieve an email after the closing time then obviously that is very much an inherrent floor...just turns out it wasn't a floor of the sender is all, but rather a technical issue. So lesson learned there so far as assuming and all...

Anyway, it's no big deal really, there's not much else can do about no shows so late in the day.

I am on the waiting list and received an e-mail at 6.26 pm today offering me tickets for tonight. The show had (I presume) already started by then and even if I lived in London, which I don't, there's no way I could have got there in time.

I'd be more annoyed if I hadn't already been busy and unable to go, but I hope this will be sorted out for the last two recording dates, both of which I would be able to make.

Click to expand...

At the time it went out, I hear they were still in the "holding area". I got the email too and would also have been upset had I missed out...

Click to expand...

A friend of mine got that email too. He misread it at first, thinking we had tickets for next Friday, before realising his mistake. The email also clearly stated that "Doors close at 6pm". He recieved the email at 6:26 pm, with nothing mentioned about any change to that :? ..ah well.

So my initial reaction was..um, time machine anyone?

On a side note i must say that these competitions don't exactly leave those who need time to plan travel arrangements and whatnot much time do they?. I don't like to complain really (well at least not about stuff that's free ), but it just seems to me these things should've maybe been organised a little more in advance perhaps?. We don't all live in Londinion ya know...

Click to expand...

Thanks for expressing what I was initially trying to say rather better than I did.

I've had (and probably everyone else too) an email explaining that Lost In TV are going to run another emailing list for those who are already on the waiting list, but are able to make the studio at the very short notice because of the last second cancellations or "no shows".

Whilst I expressed how frustrating it would be to receive a last minute email that you couldn't attend because of the short notice, I didn't for a minute think there was anything Lost In TV could actually do about it to improve the situation....But, it seems they really are doing their absolute best to please the fans and have come up with one.

Can I just go on record here to say that whoever was responsible in choosing Lost In TV for the ticket distribution is an absolute genius and deserves a special bonus this year! And Lost In TV have gone above and beyond any expectations I had for a company who's job is to give away free tickets. Things haven't been 100% perfect with websites crashing and with most of the successful ticket applications being for Twitter users, but LITV have done their upmost to keep things as fair as they could. They could have easily issued 400 tickets for a 250 strong audience and said "This ticket does not guarantee you access"....but they haven't.

So Jay. Please accept our appreciation and pass it on to the others at LITV. Cheers....

I've had (and probably everyone else too) an email explaining that Lost In TV are going to run another emailing list for those who are already on the waiting list, but are able to make the studio at the very short notice because of the last second cancellations or "no shows".

Whilst I expressed how frustrating it would be to receive a last minute email that you couldn't attend because of the short notice, I didn't for a minute think there was anything Lost In TV could actually do about it to improve the situation....But, it seems they really are doing their absolute best to please the fans and have come up with one.

Can I just go on record here to say that whoever was responsible in choosing Lost In TV for the ticket distribution is an absolute genius and deserves a special bonus this year! And Lost In TV have gone above and beyond any expectations I had for a company who's job is to give away free tickets. Things haven't been 100% perfect with websites crashing and with most of the successful ticket applications being for Twitter users, but LITV have done their upmost to keep things as fair as they could. They could have easily issued 400 tickets for a 250 strong audience and said "This ticket does not guarantee you access"....but they haven't.

So Jay. Please accept our appreciation and pass it on to the others at LITV. Cheers....

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Signed.
Their communication throughout (directly, on twitter and on this here forum) has been top notch. They have been absolute stars and deserve some recognition for a good job well done.

Yes, sorry to cause undue frustration but - hands up - I sent the e-mail from the audience holding area at Shepperton at around 4.45-5.00pm. I don't know quite why it took so long for some people on the list to receive it, it really shouldn't have - it's a big list but shouldn't take around 2 hours to send. Apologies if you were one of the unlucky ones who did get it too late.

It was an odd week in that we had a relatively high number of last-minute cancellations. And by 'last-minute' I mean cancellations from e-mails sent to us as we arrived on-site or parties actually arriving and using less than their full allocation of tickets. Faced with potentially 20-25 spare seats, I took the decision to e-mail the whole waiting list, knowing full well that the vast majority of people wouldn't be within a stone's throw of Shepperton and be able to make it on time. But my hope was there would at least be enough people to get it who could fill the seats and not have them go to waste. Thankfully this was the case and we managed to squeeze in some very happy latecomers.

What we're thinking of doing for the final 2 shows is putting together a local, last-minute list for people to register their interest on. So if we do ever have any empty seats at least we can get the message out to people who have a realistic chance of getting to the studio on time. It'll be a bit hectic, granted - but we'd definitely not rather overbook the recording as I would hate to have to send home disappointed fans every week.

On the whole the turn-out rates have been absolutely astounding. 20-25 empty seats may sound like a lot, but I've worked on shows where we have to overbook the whole audience many, many times over to stand any chance of a full house. 90-95% ticket uptake is simply unheard of - making Red Dwarf the most popular show we've had by a galactic mile.

As an aside, it's worth letting us know ASAP if you have a set of tickets and are unable to use the full allocation. I know its tricky as some people pull out for unforeseeable reasons like illness or last-minute work commitments, but we reallocate spares right up until the day of the recording - so do drop us a line to let us know.

Click to expand...

I'm on the waiting list and never got this email, but my friend Joe did at about 7pm sadly. We are hoping that next week we will have a chance to get in though. Going to stay near, checking our emails and twitter in hopes. *fingers crossed*